As of January 1, 2016, Gapers Block is on indefinite hiatus. The site will remain up in archive form while we evaluate our options, which may include a redesign or sale.✶ Thank you for your readership and contributions over the past 12-plus years. ✶

I'm stealing the headline from FoGB Veronica Arreola, because it is perfect. There are so many Best of lists at this time of year, but if you want to know 15 (thankfully there are far more) women who did awesome stuff in Chicago this year, then go read about them. They're all awesome.

Retired police officer and IPRA investigator Lorenzo Davis spoke with the NYTimes about the code of silence that keeps IPRA and other officers from acknowledging wrong-doing by police. DNAinfo's Mark Konkol tracks the control of CPD not to the superintendent, but to City Hall.

Wheaton College political science professor Larycia Hawkins was suspended for wearing a hijab during Advent "in religious solidarity with Muslims because they, like me, a Christian, are people of the book."

This morning, I partook of the Eucharist, the culmination of the Christian liturgy where Christians through the...

Legislative Inspector General Faisal Khan, whose funding to be the city's watchdog was cut earlier this year, spoke with Politico about his last day in office this past Friday, when a FBI van showed up unannounced and hauled away office computers and files. "I could never have envisioned a city like Chicago being so devoid of ethical morals and values when it came to our elected officials," he said.

Federal agents seized the cell phone of Court Circuit Clerk Dorothy Brown last week as part of a federal investigation of her husband's involvement with a state-funded anti-violence program, as well as a land deal with a campaign donor.

Barbara Byrd-Bennett pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges Tuesday -- but her co-defendents pleaded not guilty, setting up an opportunity for her to cooperate with investigators for a lenient sentence.

Amusingly, Watchdog Arena, the citizen journalism arm of the conservative libertarian Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity, described Catalyst Chicago reporter Sarah Karp, who broke the no-bid contract story, as a "mother with a blog."

Taxi drivers plan a "Day Without a Cab Driver" 24-hour strike Thursday morning till Friday morning in protest of Mayor Emanuel's proposal to allow rideshare drivers to pick up passengers at the airports and McCormick Place and fare increases.

About 1,000 rape evidence kits from Chicago victims were submitted for analysis every year since 2008, but only 271 came back last year; the rest remain untested. Aldermen are calling on CPD to explain the backlog.

Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert will be in court in Chicago next week facing charges of bank fraud after attempting to pay over $1 million in hush money for "sexual misconduct;" the family of a now-deceased man claims Hastert sexually abused him in high school.

Last night, President Obama demolished the record for the fastest time to reach one million followers on Twitter with the creation of his personal account, @POTUS. The account reached one million followers in less than five hours. #recordbreaker

The Barack Obama Foundation announced this morning that they've selected the South Side as the future location of their museum and presidential library. A more formal press conference will be held at noon today. The President and First Lady gave their thoughts on the decision in a YouTube video.

After months of waiting, newsoutletsreport that the Obama Presidential Library will be built in Chicago, on the University of Chicago's proposed site in Washington Park. The official announcement is expected today.

If you're not registered to vote but the runoff has you suddenly motivated, you're in luck, there's still time to register. You have until March 9 for absentee and March 10 for in-person voting. Early voting will run March 23 through April 4.

After thoroughly covering the run-up to yesterday's election, Aldertrack is going year-round with its e-newsletter covering Chicago politics. Subscribe by April 1 for a 10 percent discount off the annual rate.

In case you somehow didn't hear, Mayor Emanuel received 45.4 percent of the vote, triggering the first mayoral runoff in history against Jesus "Chuy" Garcia, who received 33.9 percent. Get ready to vote again April 7.

Both John Kass and Mick Dumke call loudly for a runoff, which Carol Felsenthal says would be humbling. And in the NYTimes, Megan Stielstra wonders, "If we don't like the guy ... why are we resigned to his re-election?"

The interior decorator who recently gave Congressman Aaron Schock's office a "Downton Abbey"-themed renovation is likely in the dog house after giving a Washington Post reporter an impromptu, private tour of the space, which is bedecked with feather arrangements, chandeliers and mirrors; the politician's staff later unsuccessfully tried to have the photos and story removed.

UPDATE: The ACLU praised some aspects of the bill while panning others, noting that it does not explicitly ban recording of police -- however the language of the bill is vague enough on what a "private conversation" is that you can bet it'll be used by officers to stop recordings.

Former congressman and judge Abner Mikva received the Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, from President Obama yesterday. He is the founder of the Mikva Challenge, a foundation encouraging civic engagement among students.

Demonstrators protesting the grand jury decision not to indict Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Mike Brown in Ferguson, MO shut down Lake Shore Drive for an hour and marched to the Thompson Center before being prevented from heading up Michigan Avenue by police. Check the #chi2ferguson hashtag for the play-by-play.

Voters in southeastern Rogers Park can vote until 8pm tonight because their polling place, the Leona's on Sheridan Road, didn't open for voting this morning. Police and firemen had to break into the restaurant to let election judges set up.

Proposals submitted by UIC and U of C are among the four semi-finalists named today for the future site of the Obama Presidential Library; the other sites are Columbia University and the University of Hawaii. Barack and Michelle will select the winner early next year.

The BGA investigates a city worker who was hired -- with no animal welfare experience and a hefty salary increase -- to help run the city's Animal Care & Control department. Shortly after starting his new job, he relinquished his own dog to the pound, and stranger still, the pup was immediately scooped up by PAWS. (Don't blame the dogs -- there are tons of great dogs available at CACC.)

Lawyers for former mayor Richard Daley claim he's too sick to testify in the City's lawsuit against owners of the Park Grill restaurant. But just last week John Daley told reporters his brother was in "excellent health."

The Atlantic's Ta-Nehisi Coates makes the case for slavery reparations by way of introducing us to Clyde Ross, a Mississippi-born son of share croppers who settled in North Lawndale, and Chicago's ongoing problems of segregation. You may want to save this one for weekend reading.

Despite City Council passing new rules decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana, Chicago police are still more likely to take someone to jail than write them a ticket, according to a new study.

The NYTimes looks into Northwestern's campaign against the potential football player union, including mandatory one-on-one meetings with Coach Pat Fitzgerald, threats to cancel the construction of a new athletics center and warnings that a union vote would mean fewer employment opportunities after college. Additional details can also be gleaned from the university's internal response to anonymous questions, as published by CBS Sports.

After shutting down half of its mental health clinics two years ago, the City is dedicating remaining resources to uninsured people, apparently leaving those who signed up for health benefits under the Affordable Care Act to find care somewhere else.

The House Ethics Committee is investigating Rep. Luis Gutierrez, taking a look at annual payments of $50,000 made over 10 years to a contractor with connections to the congressman's former chief of staff.

Chicago wants to offer city-owned vacant lots to homeowners and nonprofits in Englewood for $1. It's been done in Gary, and Chicago is hoping this would put some of over 5,000 current vacant lots to use.

The 1% isn't elite enough for Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner. "Oh, I'm probably .01 percent," he said in an interview with the Sun-Times. Rauner has put $6 million of his own vast fortune into his campaign.

Steve Rhodes takes a closer look at the story of Arthur Bishop, who resigned from his new post as head of DCFS after a WBEZ and the Sun-Times investigation found he pleaded guilty to stealing from clients at a social service agency 20 years ago.

Actor Seth Rogen, who appeared in front of a (sadly, near-empty) Senate chamber yesterday to talk about the need for more funding for Alzheimer's research, called out Senator Mark Kirk, who tweeted a picture with Rogen before skipping out on his testimony.

A Cook Country jury rewarded a former employee of Chicago State University $2.5 million after deciding he was fired for reporting misconduct by the university president. This verdict is the first resulting from a claim under the whistleblower protection clause of the state's ethics act, which was added in 2003.

Chicago investment executive Mellody Hobson and her husband, Star Wars creator George Lucas, are donating $25 million to support the creation of an arts center at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. The couple's donations make them one of Chicago's biggest philanthropists. With this donation, the couple has given at least $50 million to Chicago institutions since they were married here in 2013.

A former employee of state treasurer/globetrotter Dan Rutherford filed a lawsuit against his ex-boss (and Rutherford chief of staff Kyle Ham) today, claiming he was sexually harassed and forced to work on state time for Rutherford's political campaign.

In crafting the city's new policy allowing for gun sales, Mayor Emanuel is turning to California for inspiration. Set to be active within six months, gun rights activists think that the Los Angeles influence will create strong restrictions on firearm retailers.

The City Council officially banned use of e-cigarettes indoors under the same rules that restrict the smoking of regular cigarettes, with Mayor Emanuel saying it's necessary to keep kids from getting interested in them.

CPS wouldn't let Concept Schools Inc. open additional charter schools in Chicago because their Chicago Math & Science Academy wasn't meeting expectations -- but a state commission controlled by Speaker Madigan overruled and let them open two new schools, with more on the way. And somehow Turkish interests are involved, the Sun-Times' Dan Mihalopoulos reports.

"In Chicago, they found a woman who holds the record," claimed Ronald Reagan in a 1976 campaign rally. The real story of Linda Taylor, Reagan's notorious Cadillac-driving "welfare queen" is more nuanced.

Over $1 million was donated back in 2000 to build the Bobby L. Rush Center for Community Technology and help Englewood residents gain high-tech skills. The center was never built, so where did all that money go?

Is it really necessary to give TIF money to a developer building on lakefront property on the North Side? Apparently it is if it's the abandoned Cuneo Hospital (previously) in Buena Park, Ben Joravsky reports. On the other hand, it's just a little more than the City gave the owners of the Wrigley Building to modernize it.

More than 100 Black Panther party supporters commemorated International Revolutionary Day in Chicago by gathering at 2337 W. Monroe St., the place where Fred Hampton died, to honor the life of late party leader and film a re-enactment of his slaying. Party supporters will also celebrate this evening with a screening of Black Power! In Tribute to Fred Hampton from 8-10pm at the Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th St.

Residents on the South Side filed a class-action lawsuit against the shipping company responsible for storing huge piles of the oil refinery byproduct petcoke, saying dust from it blows off and coats everything in the neighborhood.

Former Mayor Daley apparently doesn't remember much of the planning and politicking of Millennium Park, at least according to depositions he gave in the ongoing lawsuit pitting the Emanuel administration against the Daley-connected owners of Park Grill.

DNAinfo Chicago reports City Council approved $125 million in tax incentives on Wednesday to renovate Bronzeville's Rosenwald Courts apartment building that once housed Nat "King" Cole, Quincy Jones, and Gwendolyn Brooks.

Associated Press reports that thousands of civilian military personnel furloughed at Illinois military installations due to last week's government shut down have returned to work on the orders of Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.

Despite a moratorium on new liquor stores in the South Austin neighborhood, a convicted drug dealer was given special approval -- and TIF money -- to open a new one, the Tribune discovered. Twenty-ninth Ward Ald. Deborah Graham shepherded the arrangement, about six months after receiving a campaign donation from the owner. Smart Chicago's Dan O'Neil adds insight on the data side of the story.

Local gun owners no longer need to register their weapons with the city after state law forced the City Council to end Chicago's registry. Guns still need to be registered with the State of Illinois, however.

City Council is set to approve $12.3 million dollars in settlements for two more victims of police torture, bringing the total cost of misdeeds under former CPD commander Jon Burge to nearly $85 million.

In Chicago and cities across the country, employees of McDonald's, Wendy's and other fast food chains walked off the job today, calling for the right to organize and an increase in the minimum wage to $15 an hour.

If you're lucky enough to have a space in a yard or a plot in a community garden, you're probably enjoying the bounty of tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, cucumbers and more that your carefully tended plants are producing. But if you find that you're producing too much and you can't bear to watch the produce wither in your vegetable bin because going out sounds better than eating more zucchini, consider donating your excess to a local food pantry. Ample Harvest has created a nationwide database of all food pantries willing to take homegrown veggies and there are several in Chicago.

Fran Spielman of the Sun-Times reports that Chicago Public Schools officials skipped applying for a demolition permit to raze the Whittier Field House. The article says an administrative order from the Department of Buildings was issued, allowing for an emergency demolition.

Amer Ahmed, the former city comptroller who stepped down in July, was indicted yesterday on federal charges of corruption dating to when he was deputy treasurer and chief financial officer of the state of Ohio.

IL Rep. Monique Davis appeared on the O'Reilly Factor after saying on a radio show that some of her constituents "suspect that maybe the police are killing some of these kids" while discussing violence in Chicago. Rep. Davis reiterated that those were not her words and then discussed the real cause of urban violence with O'Reilly. [via]

Sidetrack decided to stop serving Russian vodka in protest of anti-gay legislation and attacks in that country. Several other bars have followed suit, part of a national trend. The boycott spurred Stolichnaya Vodka's CEO to write an open letter noting the brand's support of the LGBT community.

Jim DeRogatis has chronicled R.Kelly's career and brushes with the law. He leads a WBEZ investigation of various aspects of the musician's role in pop culture, and whether he should be headlining Pitchfork.

Governor Quinn announced today that he would issue a line-item veto of a budget bill on his desk to halt Illinois lawmakers' pay, including his own, until they come up with a solution for the state's nearly $100 billion pension crisis.

Longtime alderman and Blago father-in-law Dick Mell announced today that he will be retiring July 24; insiders speculate that he will get his daughter, state Rep. Deborah Mell, appointed as his replacement.

Protestors delivered petitions with 10,000 signatures against the school closings to City Hall and vowed to "create chaos" if their voices weren't heard -- and began chanting, "Hey Rahm, we're no fools! We won't let you close our schools." Police arrested several protestors who blocked access to elevators.

Philanthropist and former School Board member Penny Pritzker was nominated to be the next Secretary of Commerce today. Greg Hinz passes along some advice from a former cabinet member from another Chicago family dynasty: Bill Daley.

Curious about how the Boston Marathon bombing affected Chicago's emergency preparedness, reporter Howard Wolinsky contact the City. Instead of an interview with the people in charge, he was offered a video of the mayor.

Robin Kelly won the election for the 2nd congressional district vacated by Jesse Jackson, Jr. Unlike her predecessor -- and her main opponent, Republican ex-con Paul McKinley -- Kelly is scandal-free. So far.

The police estimated the crowd for Wednesday's school closure protest at between 700 and 900; the Chicago Teachers Union put the total at between 5,000 and 6,000. The real number was, of course, right in the middle.

Ever wonder how the city reached the number of schools it could close? One big part of it is by upping the standard elementary class size to 30 students. That number is far higher than the district's average and nearly 10 students higher than the state's average kindergarten class size.

If you're interested in a good laugh, visit the conservative screed the Washington Times and learn all about how Hugo Chavez turned Venezuala into Chicago. A favorite line: "Venezuela saw rampant poverty, crime, and corruption, although not at the level of Chicago."

Four Chicagoans -- Veronica Arreola, Jarvis Houston, Evanna Hu and Justine Nagan -- are honorees in the New Leaders Council's 40 Under 40 list this year. They'll be honored at a reception this evening. (You might also want to take a look at this year's local NLC Fellows.)

"The Area," the newest installment of our documentary film series, features Englewood residents who are struggling to maintain friendships and traditions while a freight yard is expanding into their neighborhood.

Federal charges were filed today against former Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. and his wife, former Ald. Sandi Jackson. Jesse was charged with conspiracy, making false statements, mail and wire fraud in connection with diverting $750,000 in campaign funds for personal use, while Sandi was charged with filing a false tax return. Don't miss the expenses list after the jump, which includes a lot of Michael Jackson memorabilia and even a mink cape.

NBC reports that Jesse Jackson, Jr. will sign a plea deal that will include no more than five years in jail on charges of mishandling campaign funds, confirming Michael Sneed's exclusive from yesterday.

Governor Quinn's State of the State speech went as planned today, in which he called for actually dealing with the state's fiscal woes, increasing the minimum wage, legalizing same-sex marriage and controlling guns. Read more from the Trib, Sun-Times, WBEZ and Chicago Business, or read it yourself.

There may be a fix to election law that would avoid situations like Judge Cynthia Brim, who was retained despite years of "unqualified" ratings from legal organizations and being charged with battery on a court security guard. Brim was found not guilty by reason of insanity yesterday.

While most people would tell you that the impending demolition of a Hyde Park apartment building where Ronald Reagan briefly lived is part of the University of Chicago Medical Center's long-planned expansion, at least one Fox News columnist is doubling down on the theory that it's to make way for an Obama presidential library.

CBS2 Chicago reports that Ald. Willie Cochran has suggested using GPS devices on all guns. "Just like if your car gets stolen, OnStar can tell you where your car is. If your gun gets stolen, and you report it, we should be able to find that gun."

Lathrop Community Partners, the organization coordinating community input for the redevelopment of Lathrop Homes, just released its summary of public input [PDF]. Among expressed opinions were a concern about the mixed-income character of the development, as well as preferences for reusing a "critical mass" of the existing buildings, maintaining a low-rise site and establishing high public transportation connectivity.

Facing criticisms that she has been neglecting the duties of her alderman position (as well as the stress of her husband's recent woes), Sandi Jackson resigned today, effective Jan. 15. Jackson was elected alderman of the city's 7th Ward in 2007.

President Obama threw his support behind the "Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act," aimed at legalizing same-sex marriage in Illinois. The bill, which was introduced by Chicago's state Sen. Heather Stearns and Rep. Greg Harris, could be voted on as soon as next week.

The special election for Jesse Jackson, Jr.'s vacated congressional seat has been tentatively set for March 19, with a primary on Feb. 26 -- unless Gov. Quinn can convince lawmakers to let him move it to April 9 to coincide with local municipal elections. Already, the list of candidates is lengthening.

Former House member and State Senator Debbie Halvorson, who lost to Jesse Jackson Jr. in the March primary election, announced that she plans to run for the seat he resigned last week. Among her potential fellow candidates are former Blago attorney Sam Adam, Jr., Todd Stroger, and pastor Corey Brooks.

America is not red states and blue states, just purple ones. A new map showing voting patterns in the 2012 presidential election with greater granularity than ever before demonstrates just how true that is.

Cook County judge Susan McDunn, whose 20-year career took a major turn when she recently claimed to be the target of "secret" legal cases that were "ruining her life," voluntarily resigned last week. McDunn received complaints for misconduct in handling adoptions by gay couples in the late 90s.

Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. has left the Mayo Clinic as rumors swirl that he'll resign as part of a deal regarding the federal investigation into possible misuse of campaign funds. Meanwhile, the WSJ reports that the investigation has expanded to include Ald. Sandi Jackson, his wife and campaign manager.

A picture from the infamous Obama Election Day Basketball Game shows how the President and former state treasurer and senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias have changed since their last meeting at the hoops.

UPDATE: Actually, the rules are a little fuzzy. As Gizmodo points out, there's nothing in Illinois law explicitly forbidding photographing your own ballot. However, it is illegal to photograph other citizens voting. Here's "10 ILCS 5/29-9," the section of election code that might be at issue:

Sec. 29-9. Unlawful observation of voting. Except as permitted by this Code, any person who knowingly marks his ballot or casts his vote on a voting machine or voting device so that it can be observed by another person, and any person who knowingly observes another person lawfully marking a ballot or lawfully casting his vote on a voting machine or voting device, shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony.

Crain's Chicago Business got hold of Steve Sandvoss, an election specialist with the Illinois State Board of Elections, who said that section 5/29-9 "could be interpreted to prohibit a voter from photographing his or her ballot and then posting the photograph. Whether or not facts exists establishing such a violation would be up to a prosecutor's office."

Mr. Sandvoss also noted that "there is no per se prohibition on bringing a cellphone or camera into the polling place." But, "if the election judges determine that using either one is disruptive of the voting process, or is otherwise a violation of one or more election laws, they are empowered in my opinion to instruct the person to refrain from using it."

So there you have it. Possibly illegal, definitely not something to make a big deal out of doing while you're in the polling place. And don't even think about photographing someone else's ballot.

UPDATE 2: Ken Menzel, deputy general counsel for the Illinois State Board of Elections, was much less ambiguous when he discussed the issue with the Tribune. Illinois election code prohibits voting in a way that can be observed by others, and posting photos of completed ballots on social media obviously violates that code. The law was meant to discourage vote-buying ("Having a picture of the ballot is an important cog in vote-buying schemes. The buyers want to know they got what they paid for," Menzel told the Tribune) and makes it a Class 4 felony with a one- to three-year prison sentence and a maximum $25,000 fine.

Illinoisians have become heavily involved in Obama for America efforts, and since the president's home state is solidly behind him, volunteers have concentrated on neighboring swing states. The most recent increase in OFA volunteers is likely due to the campaign's promise to provide volunteers with tickets to his Election Night Party at McCormick Place tomorrow evening.

Sixty students from the Chicago-area headed to Wisconsin today to take part in the Mikva Challenge, a non-partisan organization, "Elections in Action" program. The students will spend the weekend learning about and taking part in the presidential campaigns.

If you know you won't be in town for the all-important Nov. 6 election, you can take advantage of early voting beginning this Monday; locations are open 9am-5pm, Monday through Saturday through Nov. 3.

Gawker reports that Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. was spotted at two bars in Washington D.C. with different women last week. Jackson was released last month following a long stay at the Mayo Clinic for bipolar disorder treatment, and he has not yet returned to work.

Have you registered to vote yet? The deadline is October 9, and there's a wealth of information on the Chicago Board of Elections website--including information on voting early, should you be busy on November 6.

Associate Judge Thomas Donnelly ruled the mass arrests of Occupy Chicago protesters to be unconstitutional in a 37-page ruling today. The charges following the arrests of 92 protesters for violating curfew in Grant Park were thrown out.

If you were excited about Chick-fil-A's recent decision to stop funding anti-gay organizations in response to Alderman Proco Joe Moreno's opposition to their plans to build a second restaurant in his ward, you might want to reconsider; Chick-fil-A owner Dan Cathy tweeted a pic of a fundraiser held yesterday for an anti-gay lobbying group, and encouraged his audience to give directly to the group rather than go through Chick-fil-A's philanthropy arm, the WinShape Foundation. So the money may not be coming directly from Chick-fil-A, but the sentiment is?

Ald. Proco "Joe" Moreno acquiesced on his opposition to Chik-fil-A building a branch in Logan Square after the chain agreed to stop funding anti-gay organizations and issued a company mandate supporting equality regardless of sexual orientation.

Max Rice, a Columbia College student posing as a former Obama supporter, managed to get an awkward, unfunny on-air interview with Gretchen Carlson from Fox News on Monday morning. Carlson cut Rice off after realizing that Rice "wasn't ready for prime time."

Forty-five theater companies around the country (and possibly more to come) will mount the Neo-Futurists' 44 Plays for 44 Presidents as part of the Plays for Presidents Festival. The performances will be compiled into a video that will debut about a week before the election.

The Chicago Film Archives put together a collection of newsreel footage from the 1960 Republican National Convention, which was held in Chicago. There's no sound for most of it, but that's kind of a nice change compared to today's "wall-to-wall" coverage.

First Lady Michelle Obama is currently on the cover of a Spanish magazine called Fuera de Serie. The article is called "Michelle Tataranieta De Esclava, Dueña De América" (Michelle Granddaughter of a Slave, Lady of America), and features a portrait that superimposes the her head onto the body of an African Guadeloupean female slave painted by French artist Marie-Guilhelmine Benoist in 1800.Of course, people in the states are outraged.

This past Thursday, a group of women from Chicago began driving to the office of Missouri politician Todd Akin to deliver some helpfulinformation to the guy who took it upon himself to define "legitimate" rape. They're turning it into a listening tour of sorts; you can follow their travels online.

In Mechanics, Jason Prechtel gives an in-depth overview of the battle between parishioners, preservationists and Alderman Colón over the future of St. Sylvester's rectory on Palmer Square. Meanwhile, Ben Joravsky reports in the Reader on another political preservation fight.

The Pritzkers' Hyatt Hotels Corp. is receiving a $5.2 million TIF as part of the Harper Court redevelopment project on 53rd Street. The seven schools surrounding the TIF district are losing $3.4 million from their budgets -- which happens to be the about the amount that CPS loses in property taxes because of the TIF. Meanwhile, Penny Pritzker serves on the CPS board. Curtis Black explains.

Ald. Sandi Jackson shared details of her husband's collapse and hospitalization with the Sun-Times' Michael Sneed. She said it was due to debilitating depression, possibly brought on by a recent gastric bypass surgery, exacerbated by an overloaded work schedule.

Mayor Emanuel, Obama's former chief of staff, weighed in on the Mitt Romney-Bain Capital story this weekend: "Stop whining," he said on ABC's "This Week." "If you want to claim Bain Capital as your calling card to the White House, then defend what happened at Bain Capital."

"I've become less conservative since the Republican Party started becoming goofy," said Federal Appellate Court Judge and UofC Professor Richard Posner in an interview on NPR last week. He also thinks the patent system has gotten out of sync with modern business, particularly regarding technology.

Recently, a local activist posted an impassioned call to action recalling an incident at Lincoln Hall a few weeks ago. Her story is one of misunderstanding, judgment, fear and the lines that we all try so desperately to tow.

Agree with her or not, she represents the marginalization of our fair city and no matter how comfortable we may become in our isolated spaces created by the quiet segregation of the past several decades, we are all a part of the city at-large and perhaps the real point of her experience--and all those she represents--is that discrimination is a default reaction to so many of our interactions with strangers. We've all seen it, someone being accused of being a bigot and someone else defensively standing their open-minded ground. Chicago is better than its racist roots. But where does the real change begin? The Internet isn't small enough to hold everything we should be saying to each other.

Tomorrow, the Zoning Board of Appeals will meet to decide if the Portage Theater (previously covered by Gapers Block) will be converted into a church, consequently ending all film programming and inhibiting economic growth in the neighborhood. Supporters are encouraged to attend the meeting at 9 a.m., at City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle, in the City Council Chambers on the 2nd floor. Find more information here, here, and at Alderman John Arena's site.

Lakeview Pantry's 50-year-old executive director will be hoofing it 50 miles -- from Kenosha to Chicago -- to raise money for the nonprofit organization. Every dollar donated buys 10 pounds of food, so skipping that one iced latte would make a 45.2-pound difference to someone in need.

Joe Ricketts, the head of the family who owns the Cubs, is preparing a major campaign to "defeat Barack Hussein Obama." The NY Times reports that one option is a $10 million racialization of the presidential race by reinserting Rev. Jeremiah Wright and others to influence voters who "still aren't ready to hate this president."

The City threatened to pull the permit for a May 18 NATO protest by National Nurses United, after musician Tom Morello was added to the rally. The protest may continue if it's moved to the Petrillo Band Shell instead of Daley Plaza; Morello, who was born in Libertyville, said "Mayor Emanuel is afraid of me, afraid of nurses and afraid of the truth."

CPS teachers are seeking state support to increase The Chicago Teachers Pension Fund (CTPF), which is currently underfunded by millions of dollars. Senate Bill 3628 would allow $270 million to flow into the CTPF but, after that, state contributions would fall to ten percent of what it provides to the Teachers Retirement Fund, which is for teachers outside of Chicago. If the bill were to pass the senate it would still need to find support in the Illinois House. Controversial spending by the Teachers Retirement System (TRS) of Illinois adds an element of question to the debate.

City Council will be considering the speed camera ordinance tomorrow, and CDOT has provided some ward-by-ward accident data for them to review. The Expired Meter got hold of the report and provides some analysis.

Rod Blagojevich's former chief of staff John Harris received a ten day prison sentence for his role in the senate seat debacle that sent his old boss to jail for 14 years. Harris provided key testimony for the prosecution.

Congressman Bobby Rush was removed from the House floor for wearing a hoodie while addressing the Trayvon Martin case. Acting Speaker Gregg Harper (R-MS) asked the sergeant-at-arms to enforce the House rule forbidding hats in the chamber.

Catholic schools that ordinarily patronize the Steppenwolf for Young Adults series are steering clear of FML: How Carson McCullers Saved My Life, an original piece by Sarah Gubbins that touches on issues of bullying gay students. Sex columnist Dan Savage of the It Gets Better Project is making a special appearance this Friday in a post-show discussion with his brother, Bill Savage. The play runs through March 18, with matinee performances available for school groups, and public performances Saturdays and Sundays.

After decades of protesting, Little Village and Pilsen residents celebrate a recent deal to shut down two coal-fired power plants, owned by Midwest Generation. Pollution from the plants has been blamed for illness, asthma attacks and even death in the community over the years.

The City is currently taking bids to outfit the Chicago Police Department's 30-man mounted unit with riot gear for the G8 summit. And not just the officers, but the horses too -- leather nose guards, wrap-around eye visors, high-impact plastic leg shields and a small sign asking you not to pull on their tail (not true).

Cook County Circuit Court Judge Vanessa A. Hopkins took over 200 sick days last year due to a shoulder injury and various undisclosed illnesses. Hopkins' tenure hasn't been without other controversy; she only had two years of professional experience when she became a judge in 1996, and every local bar group has deemed her unqualified for her position. Hopkins represents the first judicial subcircuit, which encompasses part of the South Side; she is up for re-election this fall.

There's a rally this afternoon at 4pm at Lake View High School, Ashland and Irving Park, in support of the schools on CPS's short list for closure and turnaround. The rally will then march up to Mayor Emanuel's home.

The Emanuel administration is challenging the 2010 census count for Chicago, claiming that as many as 2,350 residents were missed. Since each resident earns the City around $1,200 a year in federal funding, adding even that few people to the 2,695,598 estimated population would mean an extra $2.8 million a year.

A UIC study led by professor and former alderman Dick Simpson shows that Chicago is the most corrupt federal district in the country. The study also finds that Illinois is the third most corrupt state in the nation.

Governor Pat Quinn signed a bill into law this morning that will allow for tickets to be issued to drivers caught speeding within an eighth of a mile of schools or parks on the network of red light cameras. The law goes into effect July 1.

Tonight at 5:30, Northwestern is hosting a free screening of the documentary Miss Representation. It premiered at Sundance last year, and looks at how mainstream media contribute to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America

Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk, after suffering a stroke and undergoing surgery on Monday, is in good condition. He even asked for his Blackberry, according to the Sun-Times. His Twitter account, which appears to be at least partially authored by the Senator himself, has been inactive since the stroke.

The City's Ethics Reform Task Force launched an online forum Wednesday that allows the public to make recommendations for strengthening city ethics rules. Of the few posts already up on the forum, all anonymous, there seem to be a few common suggestions for aldermanic ethics rules: term limits, more open meetings and a ban on lawmakers working for city contractors once they leave office.

The year is 2012, and six of the Founding Fathers have been kidnapped through time to be props in the presidential election. Follow the antics of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton and James Madison in the new transmedia series, "I Made America."

To show support for the suburban woman who was brutally assaulted and raped on New Year's Eve in Logan Square, Rape Victims Advocates have organized a community meeting tonight at 5:30pm [PDF]. Meet at the Congress Theater, 2135 N. Milwaukee; the group will then walk to the area where the woman was found.

The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists hosts its third annual Doomsday Clock Symposium next Monday, Jan. 9, after which they'll adjust the clock if deemed necessary. It is currently at six minutes to midnight.

"These 50 Democrats are chumps compared with party colleagues in the state legislature. Those guys know how to chew gum, draw a map and stick a knife in rivals' backs at the same time." -James Warren on the city and state's redistricting machinations.

Concerned residents, pedestrians and public safety advocates will be attending a hearing at City Hall tomorrow at 10am to protest an ordinance that Logan Square alderman Rey Colon is proposing that would allow a removal of a "Pedestrian Street" designation in order for a McDonald's (located at 2707 North Milwaukee) to undergo renovation.

WGN will be streaming the event, which starts at 10:30am at Old Sat Pat's, 700 West Adams. Airspace restrictions at O'Hare indicate that Michelle Obama (who once worked for Mayor Daley) may be attending.

Citing our "liberal policies [that] are an insult to the traditional values of downstate families," two Republican state reps from central Illinois have proposed a bill for Cook County to separate from Illinois and become its own state.

While Occupy protestors in other cities have met with force, Chicago has been largely free of violence (a nice contrast to the city's reputation with protests) -- and as a result has seen its influence grow.

Meanwhile, a group of Occupy Chicago protestors were down in Hyde Park Monday night to protest the Condoleezza Rice/Henry Paulson talk. The talk was postponed, but the protest went on anyway.

Gawker is investigating Rahm Emanuel's use of his personal email account to communicate with Attorney General Eric Holder during his tenure as Obama's Chief of Staff, which is a violation of the Presidential Records Act. Government officials maintain that the exchanges were of a "purely personal" matter.

The Ravenswood Community Council continues to receive city contracts despite being deemed unfit by the Dept. of Community Development. It's become former alderman Eugene Schulter's private fiefdom, according to a Center Square Journal exposé.

The WSJ is reporting that a large part of the duties of Obama's Chief of Staff William Daley are undergoing an unprecedented transfer over to fellow aide Pete Rouse. Daley will retain the title but will focus more on specific projects rather than day-to-day management of the White House.

He may not be able to drive, but your pooch still needs a dog license in the City of Chicago, and less than 5 percent of Chicagoans have been buying them. Starting next year, you'll get fined unless fido has a bit of official City jewelry on his collar. Licenses range from $5 to $50.

Watching the Republican presidential debate tonight? Scott VanDenPlas and other folks on the Obama for America tech team created GOPDebateWatch, where you can donate to the president's campaign every time a GOP candidate uses one of their buzzwords, like "9-9-9" or "Romneycare."

A Tribune-WGN investigation has discovered that changes to the state's pension code 20 years ago will net a handful of union leaders $56 million in retirement benefits. Former CFL president Dennis Gannon was rehired by the City for a single day in order to qualify him for the pension windfall.

Each year, the Sun-Times Charity Trust awards grants to Chicago organizations that support youth in education, art and civic engagement. This year, the Trust has set up the Sun Shine Project for the greater Chicago community to "shine a light" on worthy charities and select projects that deserve a grant. The nomination phase is happening right now!

At the Bughouse Square Debates last weekend, former GB staffers Richard Lorenc and Kenzo Shibata debated each other on the question, "Should public employees have collective bargaining rights?" We've got video in Mechanics.

A big downer of the to-be-signed debt relief bill means that starting in 2012, graduate and professional students will no longer have subsidized Stafford loans, making the cost of affording school even more difficult. Tune in to 101.1FM around 7:20am tomorrow to learn more about this from Tim Opgenorth, Director of Financial Aid at UIC.

The suburban anti-gay organization Americans for Truth about Homosexuality just lost its tax-exempt status for not filling out critical federal forms for three years. Read more about the organization and its 2010 anti-gay conference in Mechanics.

Non-violent Cook County jail inmates have been chosen to work after-hours at Chicago's Animal Care and Control cleaning up kennels, a program that helps save the City money and gives the inmates useful services to perform.

Freshman alderman Amaya Pawar (47th) made good on his campaign promise to reduce his salary from the standard $108,000 to just $60,000. Meanwhile, his chief of staff is one of the best paid in the city.

Mayor Emanuel announced that 625 city employees will receive layoff notices today amid efforts to streamline the government and save money. Meanwhile, Bloomberg Philanthropies, controlled by NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, is giving Chicago $6 million in grants over the next three years.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel has given City Hall labor unions a tough choice: Agree to $20 million in savings through work-rule changes or lay or lay off 625 union members. He made the proclamation while touting Walgreens' plans to add 600 jobs in Chicago over the next years. Of course, Walgreens employees don't have the same wages and benefits as the union members.

Starting January 1, 2012, all Illinois car passengers, regardless of age or where they're seated in the car, have to buckle their seat-belts. Not a requirement just for drivers and front seat passengers anymore, you back seat drivers better get used to buckling up (except in buses, cabs, and emergency vehicles). Gov. Quinn signed the legislation into law today.

Karl Klockars questions whether Ald. Tom Tunney is in violation of City Council ethics rules for not recusing himself from the food truck legislation, since he owns several restaurants and has catered events for the City.

It's no doubt that Chicagoans love politics. So it shouldn't be a surprise that the top two political mom bloggers in the country live right here. Circle of Moms, a social networking site for moms of all types, held a contest to see who were the favorite mom bloggers. First place went to occasional GB contributor Veronica Arreola of Viva La Feminista. A very close second place went to rocker-mom Gina Crosley-Corcoran of The Feminist Breeder.

On Saturday, amid the zombies and blues fans, a group of Libyan Americans demonstrated on Michigan Avenue across from the Congress Hotel. It was just one of many protests here since the revolution in Libya began in February.

Fantasy Costumes already has a Rahm Emanuel rubber mask, available for $39.99 online. Shop employees told the Trib the store's owner figured Emanuel would win the mayoral election and got a jump on designing the mask.

In what will surely be a familiar refrain, if not a tired cliché, soon, both John Greenfield and the Neo-Futurists made a play on the carrol "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" with regards to our incoming mayor.

Head down to Millennium Park at 10:30am this morning for the swearing-in ceremony for Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel, treasurer Stephanie Neely, and City Clerk-elect Susana Mendoza. You can watch it online here. You can then take the party over to City Hall, where Emanuel hosts an open house between 2-4pm.

Downstate Republican Congressman (and fitness nut) Aaron Schock went shirtless for this month's issue of Men's Health as part of their Fit for Life Summer Challenge. This is not the first time that Schock's abs have been given media coverage.

From this afternoon's City Hall hearing on the permit status brouhaha for the Logan Square Farmers Market: Alderman Rey Colon just withdrew his application for opposing the market's permit, but whether the Logan Square Chamber of Commerce will be allowed to run the Market this summer has not yet been decided.

Eight months after Barack Obama hosted him on the White House basketball court, Derrick Rose is welcoming the president back to their hometown. The Bulls star and NBA MVP front-runner will attend the biggest (and least expensive) of three Obama fund-raisers set for Thursday in Chicago. Tickets for the 6:30pm event at Navy Pier's Grand Ballroom are $100 and $250.

A few weeks ago, we wrote about these anti-abortion billboards which feature an image of President Obama on the south side of Chicago. Well, it turns out they're illegal and there is a petition to get them removed.

Columbia College students took a look at who received money from TIFs between 2000 and 2010, and found that nearly half ended up benefiting corporations rather than helping economically blighted areas. A searchable map of TIF projects is online here. And Chicago mag's Whet Moser puts into further context.

When Ameya Pawar won the 47th Ward race, he made history. The Center Square Journal interviewed him in the midst of Tuesday's celebration, and the Sun-Times and Tribune give you a more in-depth look at the 30-year-old incoming alderman.

If you're a Democrat State Senator from Wisconsin who is hiding out in Illinois until Governor Scott Walker starts working with (and not against) his colleagues, why not spend it in Logan Square? One guy will put you up for free.

An email received today from the Emanuel campaign announced that anyone who orders this swag package and donates $5 or more today to Rahm will be entered into a drawing to have the candidate himself record a greeting on their voicemail.

Two never-released studies reinforce the notion that the Chicago Police Department's camera system is only effective in certain situations and can't be properly studied; one researcher recommends an improved approach. Shane Shifflett reports -- and provides interactive maps -- in Mechanics.

The Civic Federation doesn't think we've been privatizing the right things here in Chicago. They're advising the next mayor to save money by privatizing services such as trash pickup and the water system.

Those planning to take advantage of the new civil union legislation that goes into effect on June 1 might want to check out the Civil Union Tracker that "aims to ensure that same-sex and different-sex couples are treated fairly under Illinois law."

Robert C. Sullivan High School in Rogers Park created a video discounting Rahm Emanuel's claims that the top-rated CPS high schools were all charter schools. They also promote del Valle in the video, so it is hard to tell how much help they had pulling it together. But for a negative campaign piece, it is pretty nice.

Newbie Illinois congressman Joe Walsh, who was the only member of the GOP who refused health coverage offered by his new employer in protest against Obama's health care reform bill, got a nice little surprise from WalMart's political action committee: a $1,000 donation just for winning a close race against incumbent Melissa Bean.

FYI, the Fantastic Four of mayoral candidates--Braun, Chico, del Valle and Emanuel--will debate tonight at 7pm on WGN; you can also catch them duking it out on WTTW on February 14 and WLS on February 17.

You didn't do anything wrong, but you can correct this heinous, deplorable oversight by registering to vote with the Board of Elections; you have until January 25 if you want to get your vote in for the February 22 General Municipal Election.

Over in Mechanics we feature Chicago HOPES, an organization that works to provide education and services for homeless children. Head over to learn about the organization's mission and accomplishments, and a little something about what it means to be a homeless child in our city.

The newly elected Joe Walsh of the 8th Illinois congressional district has the distinction of being the only member of the GOP to refuse federal health benefits in protest of last year's health care reform bill.

Rev. Meeks put another foot in his mouth yesterday, saying in a WVON political forum, "I think that the word 'minority,' from our standpoint, should mean African-American. I don't think women, Asians and Hispanics should be able to use that title."

Missing from The Daily Show's homage last night to the Senate Republicans who voted effectively against the James Zagroda 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, which would fund health care for the first responders of the World Trade Center collapse, is your new Republican Senator (and sometimes heroic vet and 9/11 sympathizer) Mark Kirk.

The Illinois House passed legislation yesterday that could clear the way for a massive synthetic gas facility to be constructed along the Calumet River. It would burn refinery waste and coal to produce the fuel, which People's Gas argues would lead to considerable cost increases for Chicago users. Next up: the Senate.

CQ-Roll Call's Christina Bellantoni tweets that Vice President Joe Biden will do the swearing in for Mark Kirk on Monday. Hopefully Biden doesn't live up to his reputation as a gaffe-factory during the worst possible moments.

Today is the last day for mayoral (aldermanic, and other city office) hopefuls to submit their required petition signatures to the Board of Elections in time for the February 22 election. You can see who is running so far here [pdf].

Kass points out today that maybe Rahm Emanuel doesn't meet the requirements to run for mayor of Chicago. Election lawyer (and adviser to Sen. James Meeks) Burt Odelson found Emanuel was purged and reinstated on voter rolls twice.

The Illinois Department of Corrections got decidedly mixed marks in a recent report [pdf] addressing the national treatment of women prisoners. Services for pregnant women received a "D" rating, while the state prison system is held up as a model for family-based treatment. [via]

On the electronic voting machines in 23 different wards Green Party gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney is listed as "Rich Whitey." About half the wards are predominately African American according to the Sun-Times.

Rev. James Meeks says he wouldn't give up his ministry if elected mayor, leading some to question his commitment to the job. Ald. Carrie Austin said, "This is a seven-day-a-week job. This is not a part-time job. You can not serve two masters."

Todd Stroger's Deputy Chief of Staff Carla Oglesby, who came under fire earlier this year for awarding County work contracts to both her personal business and friends, was taken into custody late this afternoon on corruption charges. She will be in court tomorrow.

Because he rented out his North Center home while working for President Obama in Washington and it's been over a year since he's lived in Chicago, Rahm Emanuel may have a hard time convincing election judges that he meets the residency requirements to be a mayoral candidate.

With all the attention focused on the upcoming mayoral race (and all signs pointing to Rahm Emanuel formally announcing his candidacy tomorrow), the soon-to-be-vacant Senate seat now occupied by Roland Burris has moved to the back burner. Culinary pun intended: the Breakfast Queen is running for senator.

Mayor Daley is the 2010 Laureate of the J.C. Nichols Prize for Visionaries in Urban Development for a "21-year legacy of successful community building." OK, but is calling him an "Urban Artist" pushing it? (Thanks, Beth!)

The Chicago News Cooperative took a look at the state's midwife laws, the direct-entry midwives who are illegally assisting home births and the fight over legislation that could make most assisted home births legal.

Since it seems everyone and their brother is running for mayor, A.V. Club Chicago has started a weekly series called "Me as Mayor," interviewing folks about what they'd do if they were on the Fifth Floor. So far, Graham Elliot and Vincent Falk have made their stump speeches.

Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart started circulating petitions over the weekend to test the waters for a mayoral run. Dart's spokesman says it's just to see if there's any interest among Chicagoans. To run for mayor, candidates must submit petitions with 12,500 valid signatures from Chicago residents.

Nearly two months after the Chicago Current ceased publication, the launch of Early and Often, a subscription-based political news service covering Chicago's 2011 mayoral and aldermanic elections, was announced by the Chicago News Cooperative, AlderTrack and Mike Fourcher. It'll cost you $150 to read their stories when it launches Oct. 4.

Chicago Breaking News reports that Rahm Emanuel and Jesse Jackson, Jr. held a meeting yesterday. The two are considered possible successors to Mayor Daley, who announced last week that he will not seek re-election. The question remains...what, if anything, did Rahm and Jesse decide?

Mayor Daley's decision to not seek re-election means that his potential successors will have to hustle to file some major paperwork [PDF] by November 22 in order to run in the February 22 primary. Have fun gathering 12,500 petition signatures in 75 days, candidates!

Wicker Park dentist William DeJean has bought air time on television stations in New Orleans, Los Angeles and New York to run a (crude, weird) self-made commercial promoting Hillary Clinton's 2012 presidency bid, even though Clinton has repeatedly said she will not run again.

Rich Miller asks the question on everybody's mind today: Who is the lone juror who held out against convicting Rod Blagojevich on more than one federal charge? It seems like the ex-governor owes her a fruit basket...

After 14 days of deliberations, the former governor of Illinois is only charged for lying to the FBI, a charge that carries a maximum of five years in jail and a $250k fine (prosecutors have until September 7 to decide if they want to retrial on the other 23 counts that the jury deadlocked on). Somewhere, Patrick Fitzgerald is stuffing his face with marshmallows.

Q: A federal judge in California just overturned Prop 8, which banned same-sex marriages in the state, what are you going to do now? A: Go to a rally at Daley Plaza at 6pm, of course! Celebrants are encouraged to bring rainbow flags. (Thanks, Marc!)

Clergy and peace activists have teamed up to declare "28 Days of Peace," a call for a citywide ceasefire which will end on August 28, the 55th anniversary of the day Emmitt Till was killed and the 47th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech. Considering the carnagethisweekend, a month without violence may be a tad too ambitious.

Chicago has a long and bloody union history, and it shows. According to a survey of America's ten largest cities, Chicago ranks second in the percentage of unionized workers. At 17.5 percent, we tie with Philly and stop short of New York City, where 22.3 percent of the work force is unionized.

In 1997, Jesse Jackson Jr. was featured in People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" issue. Looks like he's still got it. From Chicago magazine: "His career may be in the tank and his White House dreams shattered, but there's some good news for Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. this week: He made The Hill's "50 Most Beautiful People 2010" list--even cracking the coveted top ten." Jackson came in at number nine, beating the Cosmo-famous Scott Brown.

Following a hearty breakfast, Chicago's Better Government Association will host a debate over term limits this Wednesday. Professor Dick Simpson of UIC, who served as Chicago's 44th Ward Alderman for two terms before retiring in 1979, will argue in favor of term limits as a reasonable way to check power. Professor Emerita Dawn Netsch of Northwestern Law, who was in the Illinois State Senate before being elected State Comptroller in 1990, will argue against term limits as an arbitrary restriction on the ability of citizens to retain elected officials. Register here for $25.

The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning's draft of Go to 2040, a plan for the Chicago area's next three decades, is available to read online. You can leave your comments for CMAP on the plan's site through August 6.

Sarah Tofte of Human Rights Watch has penned a scathing article in The Huffington Post using her work from the first state-wide analysis of the rape kit backlog. The study found that the vast majority of DNA evidence collected from rape victims in Illinois is never tested. It might explain why the arrest rate for rape in Illinois of just 11 percent, half the national average.

Yesterday members of Congress held a field hearing on the proposed Comcast-NBCU merger, a deal which could have drastic consequences for Chicago's media ecosystem. Find out why you should care in Part 2 of our series in Mechanics.

Over at the Chicago Reader, Mick Dumke says everybody's favorite Windy City villain benefits from the new gun control law. (OK, maybe Mayor Daley is everybody's second favorite Chicago villain, after Blago.)

Fox Chicago drew heavy fire after suggesting that Chicago's public libraries are a useless waste of tax dollars. The response, a fiery 1000-word letter from Chicago Public Library Commissioner Mary A. Dempsey, is well worth reading.

Big news out of the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse: former Chicago Police commander Jon Burge was found guilty of perjury and obstruction of justice in connection a number of allegations of torture from decades past.

In a 5-4 decision upholding the challenge to Chicago's 30-year gun ban, Justice Samuel Alito wrote that the Second Amendment right to bear arms "applies equally to the federal government and the states." Meanwhile, 26 people across Chicago were shot this weekend. More from the Reader.

The McCormick Foundation started a contest today to promote the McCormick Freedom Project: Find a story on GB or our online counterparts that relates to one of our First Amendment rights, and tweet a link to it along with the hashtag #1amend. It'll enter you in a contest to win an iPad!

On June 9, Ald. Scott Waguespack plans to introduce an ordinance allowing food trucks of the sort that roam LA and New York. He made the announcement at a National Restaurant Association panel discussing food truck culture.

The $6.1 million left over from donations to the Chicago Olympic bid is funding World Sport Chicago's programs for inner-city kids. As the Sun-Times quips: "World Sport Chicago is the only remaining legacy of Daley's Olympic quest."

State Rep. Deb Mell, daughter of Alderman Richard Mell, would like to not have to travel to Iowa to marry her fiancée, Christin Baker. She's introduced legislation to add Illinois to the list of states where same sex marriage is legal.

According to some recently crunched numbers on Chicago's demographics, from 2000 to 2008, Chicago's African American population dropped while the suburban African American population grew. The 2010 census data may show an even greater exodus.

Whether or not the feasibility of a potential Mayor Rahm has you scratching your noggin, the Tribune compiled a list of interesting facts about the former ballet dancer turned White House chief of staff.

The Verban Memorial Society, a bipartisan group in D.C. dedicated to supporting the Cubs, has inducted White Sox fan President Obama into its ranks. "'I know it will be hard for him to accept this accolade,' Mr. Durbin said. 'It's like telling him he was elected to the board of directors of the Republican National Committee.' Conservative columnist George Will, a Verban stalwart, says the president ought to embrace his induction. 'Diversity,' he says. 'It's a great liberal value.'"

Waterless urinals that were installed as part of a plan to make City Hall more "green" were removed when the stench of urine corroding the copper pipes made the second floor smell less than rosy. When this happened to five O'Hare urinals in 2005 it cost $20,000.

From 7 to 10pm tonight, Chicago Public Radio will be running a group liveblog commenting on the primary election results in addition to its on-air coverage. GB's Andrew Huff and Ramsin Canon will be on at 7-8pm and 9-10pm, respectively, and plenty of other Chicago personalities and pundits -- as well as the candidates -- will be popping in. Tune in!

The Trib has an interesting interactive primary ballot builder feature in their "Election Center" right now. Before you head out to vote tomorrow (and you can find out where your polling location is, too) check it out. You can print, email, or share your ballot selections online.

The north-south leg of Wacker Drive will get an overhaul over the next three years, after which automotive and pedestrian traffic should move more efficiently. The state estimates 4,000 jobs will be created by the project.

Today is the first day of early voting in the Illinois primary. The Tribune's Election Center has plenty of resources to help you vote, including a handy ballot builder to act as a cheat sheet at the polls Feb. 2.

The Supreme Court will hear a lawsuit against the City of Chicago next month which will determine whether local governments can legally ban ownership of handguns. Chicago Mag recently discussed the case and profiled the plaintiffs, who may not be what you'd expect.